The United States Agency for International Development’s Lukautim Graun Program is continuing to advance the protection of PNG’s rich biodiversity through awarding of small grants to non- governmental organizations.
These funds will reduce threats to biodiversity, strengthen traditional landowners’ rights and promote women’s economic empowerment. Eco Custodian Advocate Inc. an NGO based in Milne Bay province is among the few recipients of these small grants. The signing of the grant agreement between ECA and USAIDLGP took place in late April 2023.
It is a 14-month project which starts from April 20, 2023 to June 19, 2024. Executive Director of ECA, David Mitchell and USAID LGP’s Chief of Party, Tom Pringle held further discussions on the 09th May, 2023, giving effect to this partnership. With funding support from USAIDLGP, Eco Custodian Advocates Inc. will extend its work on sound marine management and conservation support across Milne Bay province.
ECA will increase its investment in the highly biodiverse Milne Bay seascape of the Coral Triangle by providing technical and soft skill support to 1,250 fishers of both genders, impacting 5,000 community members.
ECA will build on the customary practice of gwala [customary NRM – Marine] for priority food security and livelihood concerns of target fishers and communities by addressing the:
• Rekindling of customary marine resource management;
• Empowerment of women and the vulnerable;
• Generation of ecologically beneficial and sustainable livelihoods. The funding support from USAID LGP, enables ECA to continue:
• Working with community youth in audio-visual smart-phone recordings that document local stewardship and customary law over their natural resources.
• Providing skills training in basic editing of audio-visual material to a level that is recognized as a legal retrievable record.
• Documentation of this approach to inform, socialize, and promote this as an acceptable new paradigm of having retrievable audio-visual material that is a record of oral customary law that is specific to local linguistically defined community groups. Then promoting the incorporation of this into NRM and Ward Development Plans supported by the village court.
• ECA’s activities will contribute to LGP’s goal of reducing environmental threats to biodiversity through community empowerment and increased opportunity for cultural conservation driven well-being initiatives.
Specifically, ECA will strengthen and amplify its successful interventions of communities across the Milne Bay seascape. The activities will gain greater recognition of gwala customary closure and in doing so improve the well-being and livelihoods of coastal communities. Mr. Mitchell thanked USAID for this agreement.
“The signing of this agreement with the Chief of Party demonstrates USAID LGP’s goal to work with communities, in recognizing the value of their customary marine management that protects, saves and preserves the marine resources.”
USAIDLGP’s Chief of Party Mr. Pringel said that they believe the funding support will help in conserving PNG’s rich marine resource. He added that the funding is important especially at this critical time when biodiversity faces grave threats around the world with critical species and habitats threatened at an alarming rate.